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Passenger Cars, Bakkies & Vans News

EVs demand remains low in local industry

By: Tracy Hancock 26th July 2019 Demand for electric vehicles (EVs) in South Africa remains low, mostly owing to the high cost of the limited options available to South African motorists. The Electric Vehicle Industry Association indicaties that of the about 12.5-million registered vehicles on South Africa’s roads, 1 000, or... →

New-vehicle sales decline indicative of economic health

By: Tracy Hancock 26th July 2019 Buying a new vehicle is the second-most important purchase for many South Africans; but new-vehicle sales have declined over the past five years and remain under pressure, says National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa (Naamsa) CEO Michael Mabasa. Continuing its downward... →

Photo by Dylan Slater
LOOKING POSITIVE South Africa’s vehicle manufacturing output is set to rebound in the second quarter this year partly owing to improved post-election stability following the elections

Aspiring rare-earth producers should focus on niche products – F&S

By: Creamer Media Reporter 23rd July 2019 Aspiring rare earth material producers aiming to compete with the likes of Australia’s Lynas Corporation and Iluka Resources will have to focus on manufacturing customised products for clients to break into the market. This is according to research and consulting firm Frost and Sullivan (F&S),... →

Automotive acoustics testing facility opened

19th July 2019 Multinational engineering and technology company Robert Bosch’s subsidiary Bosch Engineering has put into operation its new acoustics testing centre. Bosch Engineering specialises in development services for vehicle and engine manufacturers. →

SING IT LOUD The indoor acoustics testing facility negates external factors that might affect the outcome of an acoustic certification

Renault and Nigeria's Coscharis Group form partnership

By: Reuters 18th July 2019 French carmaker Renault and Nigerian conglomerate Coscharis Group have formed a partnership to assemble and distribute Renault vehicles in Nigeria, the companies said on Thursday. The Coscharis Group plant will start assembling Renault Logan and Renault Duster vehicles and will distribute the... →

Govt to see a 19% drop in road-generated revenue by 2030, study predicts

By: Irma Venter 18th July 2019 By 2030, government will see a 19.45% loss in its total road-generated revenue, owing to technological and societal trends, forecasts Johann van Rensburg, a PhD candidate conducting research on transport finance. Van Rensburg delivered a paper entitled ‘Disruptive Transport Technologies:... →

Ford, now accounting for 1% of GDP, introduces third shift at Silverton plant

By: Irma Venter 17th July 2019 Ford Motor Company of Southern Africa (FMCSA) is introducing a third shift at its Silverton assembly plant, in Pretoria, to meet growing international and local demand for its new Ranger pick-up, Ranger Raptor performance pick-up and Everest sports-utility vehicle. The additional shift, which... →

Photo by Creamer Media's Dylan Slater
Ford Middle East and Africa operations VP Ockert Berry

Numsa meeting with auto employers for second round of wage talks

By: African News Agency 16th July 2019 The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) said on Tuesday that they were preparing to meet with auto employers for the second round of wage talks after an agreement couldn't be met at their previous meeting. "The wage agreement in the sector has lapsed and we need to negotiate... →

Cartrack surpasses one-million subscriber mark

By: Nadine James 16th July 2019 JSE-listed Cartrack has passed the one-million subscriber mark, as a result of its rapid expansion beyond Southern Africa into Europe and Asia-Pacific. In a statement on Tuesday, Cartrack Global CEO Zak Calisto confirmed that there were few global competitors of its size and even fewer which were... →

Bidvest buys Eqstra Fleet Management for R3bn

By: Marleny Arnoldi 15th July 2019 JSE-listed services, trading and distribution company Bidvest has entered into an agreement to acquire Eqstra Fleet Management and Logistics from JSE-listed industrial group enX for an enterprise value consideration of R3.1-billion. Eqstra provides full fleet management solutions, including... →

Africa’s vehicle policies threatening its air quality, warns Nissan’s Dando

By: Irma Venter 10th July 2019 If not regulated, Africa could become one of the world’s fastest developing polluters, says Nissan Group of Africa sales and operations director Jim Dando. There are currently about 45-million vehicles in Africa, at 27 vehicles per 1 000 inhabitants, compared with 481 vehicles per 1 000 people in... →

Jim Dando

Aurecon highlights potential of tech to transform the transport industry

By: Marleny Arnoldi 8th July 2019 Many stakeholders believe the transport industry is on the cusp of disruptive transformation, as big as with the advent of the motorcar in the early 1900s. The only way for the South African transport industry to compete would be to embrace innovation and adapt to the disruption accordingly,... →

Photo by Creamer Media's Dylan Slater
Aurecon COO Dr Gustav Rohde

Audi unveils virtual reality buying experience at Centurion dealership

By: Irma Venter 4th July 2019 Elzanne Marais has a first-of-a-kind job in South Africa. However, it is one that should become increasingly prolific as local dealerships start to embrace the digital economy. Marais is the customer private lounge (CPL) consultant at Audi Centre Centurion. →

Dealer association calls on Reserve Bank to lower interest rates

By: Irma Venter 2nd July 2019 National Automobile Dealers’ Association (NADA) chairperson Mark Dommisse is calling on the Reserve Bank to lower interest rates this month – should inflation allow – in an attempt to stimulate the retail market. “It’s been quite a painful start to winter as the new-vehicle retail market –... →

Mark Dommisse

AIH spreads its wings to the international market

By: Irma Venter 2nd July 2019 Automotive Investment Holdings (AIH) is spreading its wings, with the firm officially venturing into the international market. AIH, a level two empowered company, is a well-known consulting and manufacturing entity within the South African and African automotive landscape. →

Corrie Kotzé, Dempsey Naidoo, Johan Cloete and Paulo Fernandes

Demand for new cars remains weak, says Naamsa

By: African News Agency 1st July 2019 The National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa (Naamsa) said on Monday that underlying demand conditions for new vehicles in South Africa remain weak. This as the new vehicle sales declined year-on-year by 724 units, or 1.6%, into June 2019. The aggregate domestic sales for... →

Datsun Go, NP200 cheapest vehicles to service and repair

By: Irma Venter 27th June 2019 The Datsun Go is the cheapest passenger car to service and repair in South Africa, according to the 2019 Automobile Association (AA)-Kinsey Report on vehicle parts, servicing and repair costs, compiled by Malcolm Kinsey. The report does not cover 100% of the market, but does include the more... →

The Datsun Go

Large carmakers including VW, FCA could face 2021 EU emissions fines – study

By: Reuters 26th June 2019 Volkswagen and FiatChrysler could face penalties of up to €1.83-billion and €746-million respectively, if they fail to meet the European Union's emissions targets set for 2021, according to AlixPartners. The study by the consulting firm, which was published on Wednesday, shows how hard it is for... →

BMW SA investigates software solution to counter problematic GridCars chargers

By: Irma Venter 25th June 2019 BMW Group South Africa (BMW SA) will investigate updating the software on the 60 Ah version of the BMW i3 electric car, in an effort to assist with some older models of the vehicle apparently struggling to make use of selected GridCars fast chargers. The problem was first highlighted by the South... →

French car maker PSA opens $630m Morocco plant

By: Reuters 21st June 2019 French carmaker PSA on Friday opened its €555-million ($630-million) factory in Kenitra's Atlantic Free Zone, near Rabat. PSA will initially produce an annual 100 000 cars in 2020 increasing to 200 000 by 2023, Morocco's Industry Minister Moulay Hafid Elalamy said at an official inauguration... →

As South African demand stagnates, auto exports set new records

By: Irma Venter 21st June 2019 Automotive exports from South Africa had a positive 2018, setting a number of new records on the way up. In doing so, the industry managed to compensate for some of the losses seen in the South African new-vehicle sales market last year as the domestic economy continued its uphill battle, says... →

Naamsa seeks quick end to wage negotiations in auto sector

By: Irma Venter 14th June 2019 The National Association of Automotive Manufacturers of South Africa (Naamsa) wants the quickest possible resolution to the looming wage negotiations between vehicle manufacturers and the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa), says Naamsa executive director and CEO Mike Mabasa.... →

Volvo Cars and Uber unveil production vehicle ready for self-driving

By: Irma Venter 12th June 2019 Volvo Cars and ride-hailing firm Uber have presented a jointly developed production car capable of driving by itself. Uber and Volvo Cars entered a joint engineering agreement in 2016 and have since developed several prototypes aimed at accelerating both companies’ self-driving ambitions. →

Continental Tyre to halt underground mining, agricultural tyre production in South Africa

By: Irma Venter 11th June 2019 Continental Tyre South Africa (CTSA) will discontinue the production of underground mining and agricultural tyres. This decision affects about 170 employees within CTSA’s manufacturing and sales organisation. →

South Africa should go all out with platinum and manganese to be in best of two decarbonising worlds

By: Martin Creamer 10th June 2019 South Africa, which has a wonderful platinum group metals (PGMs) endowment and an abundance of high-quality manganese ore, should go all out to be in the best of two new carbon-reducing technology worlds. On the one hand, it should do all it can to be in the world of hydrogen with the help of... →

Photo by Toyota/Anglo American
A fuel cell electric vehicle requires platinum

Nissan’s Mike Whitfield to head up Egyptian operation

By: Irma Venter 10th June 2019 Japanese vehicle manufacturer Nissan announced on Monday that Nissan South Africa and sub-Saharan Africa MD Mike Whitfield has been appointed MD of Nissan Motor Egypt. He will, however, also serve as chairperson of Nissan in Africa South. →

Mike Whitfield

Suzuki South Africa on the hunt for new sales record

By: Irma Venter 7th June 2019 Suzuki Auto South Africa (SASA) is on the hunt for another yearly sales record. Sales are already up 9.8% for the first five months of this year, to 5 114 units, compared with the same period last year. →

Nissan set to create more than 1 000 jobs

By: Simone Liedtke 6th June 2019 Local production of the next-generation Nissan Navara is expected to create an estimated 1 200 new jobs in the automotive sector. Manufacturing is expected to begin in 2020 at Nissan’s Rosslyn-based facility, where output is expected to grow by more than 50%. →

President Cyril Ramaphosa pictured in a Nissan Navara

The world’s most powerful Ferrari and the South African investment company

By: Irma Venter 5th June 2019 The most powerful Ferrari ever has the tiniest bit of a South African rainbow hidden under the hood. The new SF90 Stradale – Ferrari’s first series production plug-in hybrid electric vehicle – is powered by a 4-l twin-turbocharged engine delivering 574 kW of power and 800 Nm of torque, taking it... →

The SF90 Stradale

Exports, new-vehicle sales both down in May

By: Irma Venter 3rd June 2019 In a double whammy for the South African automotive industry, new-vehicle sales contracted yet again in May, with exports also putting in a negative performance for the first time this year. The South African new-vehicle market declined by 5.7% in May, to 40 506 units, compared with the same... →

Electric drive to take 56% of selected light commercial markets by 2040

By: Irma Venter 30th May 2019 Electric vehicles, or EVs, are on track to encroach significantly on the market for vans and short-distance trucking, according to the latest forecast from research firm BloombergNEF (BNEF). Based on analysis of the evolving economics in different vehicle segments and geographical markets, BNEF’s... →

Africa crash test results revealed for Avanza, Amaze and Ignis

By: Irma Venter 29th May 2019 The third round of #SaferCarsForAfrica crash test results revealed a reasonable safety performance for adult occupants, but disappointing results for child occupant protection. The vehicles tested were the Toyota Avanza, Honda Amaze and Suzuki Ignis. →

The results of the third round of the #SaferCarsForAfrica crash tests have been revealed. Video editing: Nicholas Boyd.

Adjudicator says any security defence of US auto tariffs at WTO 'very difficult'

By: Reuters 28th May 2019 The US will find it "very difficult" to defend President's Donald Trump's proposed car tariff against any challenge at the World Trade Organization (WTO), a veteran trade adjudicator who has ruled on a related case told Reuters. Trump said this month that some imported vehicles and parts pose a... →

BloombergNEF expects 57% of car sales in 2040 to be electric

By: Irma Venter 27th May 2019 Research service, BloombergNEF (BNEF), expects yearly passenger electric vehicle (EV) sales to rise to ten-million units in 2025, 28-million in 2030 and 56-million by 2040. More than two-million electric vehicles were sold in 2018, up from just a few thousand in 2010. →

Jiangling unveils truck, bakkie; Changan cars to launch in 2020

By: Irma Venter 27th May 2019 Jiangling Motors South Africa (JMSA) has lifted the veil on its new one-ton-bakkie offering to the local market, the Vigus 5, as well as a new truck with a four-ton payload. JMSA is a subsidiary of China’s Jiangxi Jiangling Motors Import & Export (JMIE), which forms part of Jiangling Motors... →

The Carrying Plus

Buoyed by mining recovery, Barloworld looks to Mongolia for growth

By: Irma Venter 20th May 2019 Barloworld’s results on Monday reflected some of the biggest trends in the South African economy, with the company reporting a sharp drop in equipment sales to the troubled construction industry, as well as a decline in new-vehicle sales and car rental days, but with the mining industry seemingly... →

Toyota targets wider market with new Quantum, retains old model for taxi industry

By: Irma Venter 16th May 2019 Toyota this week unveiled a new generation Quantum minibus, but says it will retain the old Quantum for use by South Africa’s minibus taxi industry. While the new generation Quantum will be imported, the old one will still be produced at Toyota South Africa Motors’ (TSAM’s) plant, in Durban. →

The new Quantum

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